Aramean Organisations ask United Nations for help to protect the Aramean clergy and Aramean Indigenous people of Iraq.

A letter to Ban Ki-Moon by: Aram-Naharaim Organisation and Aramaic Democratic Organisation

Following the letter of the Aram-Naharaim Organisation and the Aramaic Democratic Organisation sent to the Iraqi government on 22^nd of April 2008 in which they ask for a special protection program in protecting the Aramean spiritual leaders in Iraq, both organisations have sent a letter on 6^th of May 2008 to the Secretary General of the United Nation requesting for the involvement of the UN with this protection programme. Please find below the letter sent to the UN.

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Nr.: 2008-05-6/04

His Excellency Ban Ki-moon

U.N. Headquarters, Room S-3800

New York, NY 10017

United States

Your Excellency;

We, the undersigned, the Arameans of Aram-Naharaim Organization and the Aramaic Democratic Organization are writing to ask for your help in protecting the Aramean spiritual leaders in Iraq, for they are targeted and killed by those who do not want Iraq to became a tolerant, democratic and a moderate state with basic Human Rights standards and values.

Although the Aramean indigenous people (not to be confused with ‘Armenians’) of Mesopotamia ^[1], are peaceful minded, living according to the ten commandments, showing respect, dignity and love to their neighbours and always respecting the law of the countries in which they reside, they have a long and painful history of persecutions, discriminations, exclusion, extortion and genocides. ^[2]

They not only suffered severely from the hands of those who apply the path of fanaticism and intolerance but also from those who came from outside and presented themselves as the children of ‘light’, ‘peace’ and ‘brotherhood’ and fragmented our nation in the name of ‘education’, ‘faith’, ‘help’ and ‘assistance’. This colonial spiritual intervention by the Western missionaries ^[3] and diplomats has damaged our nation severely by planting doubts in their hearts regarding their origin and imposing fake names “Chaldeans” (since the 16^th century by Roman Catholics) and “Assyrians” (since the 19^th century by Anglicans) resulting in a severe form of fanaticism, nationalism, mutual hatred, division and hostility, thus a kind of spiritual genocide was committed against our nation. ^[4]

Nevertheless, the Aramean people, who were also made known as “Assyrians” and “Chaldeans”, made a significant contribution to world civilizations in particular through their Aramaic language, also spoken by Abraham, Moses and Jesus Christ. ^[5] This ancient Semitic people, now divided into several denominations and spread throughout the Middle East, amount to approximately 8 million people worldwide (Enclosure 1: Aramean denominations).

Your Excellency;

As it is known to you, the daily suffering of many innocent Iraqi people, including children and elderly people, is heartrending and unbearable. Flying parts of human bodies, mangled bodies in the streets covered with human blood, desperate and crying mothers; children crying for their parents, heartbreaking scenes, it is unbearable how the innocent people of Iraq are suffering. The cradle of civilization is burning and peace, love and brotherhood seems to be far away and unachievable.

However the situation for the Aramean indigenous Christian nation is even worse, for they have no means to defend themselves and in many cases they are at the mercy of those whose dictionary lacks words like “peace”, “solidarity” and “unity”. As a result, an important part of our nation has left Iraq for countries like Syria, Jordan and the West.

The Iraqi government is doing everything she can to provide her citizens with basic protection. Unfortunately, as we have painfully experienced, this is not enough to prevent the killing and abductions of numerous Aramean spiritual leaders and others by groups who we believe are promoted by outsiders with the goal of creating more chaos and instability within Iraq.

For this reason we sent a letter to the Iraqi government on 22 of April 2008 in which we shortly describe the suffering of the Aramean people, also known as “Assyrians” and “Chaldeans”, and strongly urge that a special protection program be considered, with the assistance of the United Nations, to protect the Aramean spiritual leaders in Iraq (Enclosure 2: Letter to Iraqi Government).

Your Excellency,

Such a protection program may positively contribute to a general feeling of safety, hence preventing our nation leaving from the lands of their forefathers which they have inhabited for thousands of years.

Therefore, we believe that the United Nations can play a significant role in this protection program by offering the Iraqi government the necessary means and assistance.

The Aramean Christian nation of Iraq, have been present for thousands of years in this part of the world, also known as the Cradle of Civilization. It would be a great loss to mankind if the Cradle of Civilization would be cleaned of its original inhabitants by those who apply and enjoy the law of the jungle in stead of the law of respect, brotherhood and solidarity where all the Iraqi can live together irrespective of religion, ethnicity and political orientation. Today something can be done to prevent this happening, tomorrow may be too late!

Respectfully Yours,

Footnotes:

[1] In ancient times ‘Mesopotamia’ was called Aram-Nahrin in Aramaic and Aram-Naharaim in Hebrew. More about this: http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Aramnaharaim.htm

[2] http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/ArameanGenocide.htm

[3] http://www.aramnahrin.org/English/Aramean_Spiritual_Genocide.htm

[4] On 22^nd of August 2007 we sent a letter to President Bush, President Sarkozy and Prime Minister Brown to help unify our nation, for it is the moral obligation of the West: Unifying the Aramean nation, repairing and healing of the wounds caused by the West

http://www.iraqichristians.org/English/Letter_Bush_Sakozy_brown_22_8_2007.htm